ORLANDO, Fla. — Alligator mating season is upon us and with more people enjoying the spring weather, Gatorland is offering safety tips to the public. Alligators can be found in any body of water in the state of Florida and can be found in all 67 counties across The Sunshine State. Most alligator mating takes place in May and June, with nesting in late June and July. Read: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson reveals new wax figure coming to OrlandoHere are some important tips to keep in mind:· Be aware of your surroundings. You can report any alligator concerns by contacting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
wftv.comORLANDO, Fla. — An event in Orlando helped aspiring wrestlers with Down syndrome to become professionals. Photos: WWE stars help make dreams come true for wrestlers with Down syndromeExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 WWE stars help make dreams come true for wrestlers with Down syndromeThe night featured WWE stars, special performances and even celebrity guest appearances. READ: 9 things to do this weekend: License-free freshwater fishing, Spring Fever in the Garden and moreOrganizers are helping the wrestlers to raise money for medical issues. “One is fighting for his sister, to get her medical treatment and to help her out with her home and facilities,” said John Chiorando, a board member with the Down Syndrome Foundation. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV.
wftv.comAlligator caught: A 4-foot alligator was caught swimming in a Massachusetts river, months after it was first sighted. But spotting an alligator in Massachusetts two weeks before the onset of winter is an unusual sight. Wildlife officials said they believed the alligator was an illegal pet that had been released into the river. “Several kayakers were inspired to try to locate and capture the animal but were unsuccessful,” wildlife officials told WWLP. Tonight hear from an Agawam resident who rescued this alligator from the Westfield River in West Springfield.
wftv.comORLANDO, Fla. — Tuesday will start off partly cloudy but there is a chance for a shower or thunderstorm this afternoon. If you live along the coast, there is a chance for a brief shower throughout the morning hours. READ: Powerball drawing: Winning ticket for $699.8M jackpot sold in CaliforniaAreas inland will stay dry until the afternoon. There is a 30% chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm. READ: Alligator attacks woman who fell into South Florida canalTemperatures will heat near 90.
wftv.comAlligator killed in Maryland A Maryland man killed an 8-foot alligator that had ventured into a pond near Chesapeake Bay. — A Maryland man, who found a nearly 8-foot alligator in a pond off Chesapeake Bay, caught it with chicken breasts as bait and then fatally shot it with a crossbow. A Maryland man trapped and killed an alligator spotted near Chesapeake beaches in Calvert County: https://t.co/AoVKyihzus pic.twitter.com/WLQw2Y2R9j — 7News DC (@7NewsDC) June 22, 2021“I looked down and about a foot away was a big alligator head,” Adams told the newspaper. Over this past weekend, Adams set up trap lines with hooks to catch the alligator, WJLA reported. “People were saying how I shouldn’t have done it because it’s tame,” Adams told WJLA.
wftv.comAlligator found hiding under vending machine at Florida convenience store Stock photo of a baby alligator. According to the Miami Herald, deputies in Florida rescued a 3-foot-long alligator Wednesday after Polk City residents spotted the reptile underneath a Circle K vending machine. >> Read more trending newsAccording to the Miami Herald, deputies in Florida rescued a 3-foot-long alligator Wednesday after Polk City residents spotted the reptile underneath a Circle K vending machine. “This little guy was hanging out under a vending machine @CircleKStores. This little guy was hanging out under a vending machine @CircleKStores.
wftv.comAlligator killed A 10-foot, 300-pound alligator is carted away after it was killed when it was hit by a vehicle early Thursday. (Montgomery County Sheriff's Office)MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — Alligators continue to cause Texas motorists to do double-takes. >> Read more trending newsA motorist in southeast Texas suffered minor injuries when his vehicle collided with a 10-foot, 300-pound alligator early Thursday, the Houston Chronicle reported. It was the second recent auto accident in the Houston area involving an alligator in the road. >> Alligator causes traffic delay by napping on Houston bridge“Adding to the list of things not commonly seen while on patrol,” the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post.
wftv.comHe said the alligator had gotten stuck under an end table right next to the pool. He told Fox 13, “He must have went through it and it got stuck on him, and he wasn’t very happy,” he says. Tim Kelly had quite the surprise Friday morning when he heard growling while getting his morning cup of coffee. As he and his wife waited for FWC to arrive, the alligator was able to free himself from the coffee table and splashed right into the pool. “We were just sitting here having coffee, just watching him swim around in the pool,” he told Fox 13.
This Oct. 2, 2015 photo provided by the Lane Thomas Foundation shows Lane Thomas Graves, in Omaha, Neb. (Lane Thomas Foundation via AP)OMAHA, Neb. Matt and Melissa Graves created the Lane Thomas Foundation after their son was killed by an alligator in 2016. Lane Thomas Graves was playing on a beach outside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in June 2016 when an alligator grabbed him and dragged him into the lake. “The Lane Thomas Foundation is amazing to help these families that are going through organ donation to not worry about financials.
ORLANDO, Fla. – If you live in Central Florida, alligators can show up anytime, anywhere. (Scroll down to see which Florida lakes have the most “bull” alligators.) While gator encounters often make headlines, News 6 wanted to know just how frequent are those sightings, and where are Florida alligators spotted the most? News 6 found, at least once a day on average, Florida alligators and human habitats collide. That is considered “bull gator” status, and locally, Lake Poinsett on the St. Johns River, Lake Kissimmee in Osceola County, and Lake Jesup in Seminole County had the largest population of “bull” alligators (or alligators longer than nine feet).
VENICE, Fla. – A 6-foot alligator that got stuck in a storm drain was freed by some Florida deputies. A jogger in Venice, Florida first spotted the stuck gator Tuesday morning and reported it to deputies, according to a tweet from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded to Cerromar Terr., Venice, to help this 6’ 🐊 free himself from a storm drain. pic.twitter.com/2rQTpN8W3c — SarasotaSheriff (@SarasotaSheriff) December 21, 2020Deputies lifted a concrete slab that helped the gator wiggle free, the sheriff's office said. The gator was later freed after a trapper was called but did not respond, the sheriff’s office said.
Meredith Budd, regional policy director with Florida Wildlife Federation, said Wilbanks volunteers with an educational program called Sharing the Landscape. It’s a campaign part of the Stop Foundation with a mission to teach about co-existing with wild animals. The nonprofit organization hopes the video will serve as a learning experience for people to maintain their distance from wild animals and make sure to stay safe. “You know, I didn’t even realize that until people started making that comment after they saw the video. Gunner is fine, I’m fine and so am I,” Wilbanks said.
NAPLES, Fla. – It doesn’t get more Florida than this, folks. While Tropical Storm Eta was wreaking havoc on parts of the state this week, causing widespread flooding, a gargantuan, prehistoric-looking alligator went for a nice stroll across Valencia Golf and Country Club in Naples. The big boy’s leisurely prowl toward the pond was captured in a 15-second video that has since made headlines. I can’t even imagine what I would do if I saw one like that,” a man from Spring Hill wrote. Click here to subscribe to ClickOrlando.com’s Strange Florida newsletter, delivered every Friday.
COCOA, Fla. – Talk about a speed bump. A driver in Cocoa ran over an alligator that wandered onto U.S. 1, police tweeted Friday. “The things that go bump in the night: patrol officers rescued this little guy as he wandered into dangerous territory. He was hit by a car on US1 at Dixon Blvd.," Cocoa police said. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission picked up the gator, which will be relocated.
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – A Florida school named after Everglades State Park experienced a small portion of what the wetlands has to offer when a small alligator appeared on the school’s playground. The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies found the alligator Wednesday at Everglades Elementary School, according to a department Facebook post. A couple more pics of “Everglades” the alligator on the playground… Pictured are SRO D/S Tim “HiggyDunDee” Higgins, D/S Greis and D/S Chavez. Posted by Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, November 5, 2020The school’s mascot is an alligator clad in orange, which is a bit different then the 4-foot-6-inch alligator the deputies captured. Click here to subscribe to ClickOrlando.com’s Strange Florida newsletter, delivered every Friday.
A Florida man’s quick actions saved his life. Mark Johnson is now recovering after he was bitten on the leg by an 8-foot alligator over the weekend. Johnson recounted the frightening moments being grabbed by a gator while walking his dog, Rex, behind his home in Port Saint Lucie. After the bite, Johnson used a simple, yet effective move that likely saved his life from the more than 8-foot alligator that was spinning with a tight hold on the 61-year-old’s foot. He could have easily started tearing flesh and after the flesh, you’re talking bone and twisting and that’s a leg removal,” Johnson said.
Were going to need a bigger boat, one gator hunter said when he hooked this 1-eyed, 12 foot-long, 477-pound alligator. John Ladner and his buddy Derek Stiglet were in a Mississippi marsh when they thought they spotted a log. Their jon-boat was too small, so a friend came with a larger one. Hunters reel in massive one-eyed gator (John Ladner)It took three hours to get the gator into the boat and when they got the gator to shore, they had to use a tractor to get it out. Ladner said that the gator gave them over 100 pounds of meat.
In typical Florida fashion, Tampa residents found a huge alligator hanging out on their doorstep Tuesday. Full Screen 1 / 9 Nearly 9-foot alligator missing limbs found on Florida doorstep. (Credit: Croc Encounters)Karina Sura Paner and John Paner, contracted nuisance alligator trappers who run Croc Encounters in Hillsborough County, got the emergency call to remove the gator. (seriously).According to Croc Encounters, the alligator was likely missing its two limbs from getting in a fight with another alligator. Even with missing limbs, that didnt stop this feisty animal from getting comfy at what it hoped might be its new home.
LARGO, Fla. – A man playing disc golf early Friday morning was bitten on the face by an alligator after he entered the water to look for a Frisbee, according to the Largo Police Department. The victim was at Taylor Park around 5 a.m. when the attack happened. Police said he was there playing disc golf and was about waist deep in the water looking for a Frisbee used in the game when the reptile chomped down on his face and right hand. In order to escape, the man used his left hand to pry open the gator’s jaw. According to Pinellas County, Taylor Park is 156.5 acres and includes a 53-acre freshwater lake and a disc golf course.
The not-at-all menacing footage shows a baby alligator practicing its death roll while gnawing on some garfish Sunday afternoon in Lake Charles, Louisiana. McCuller said she often spends time by the water watching the family, so the mother gator doesn’t seem to mind her. Baby Gator Doing a Death Roll Now isn't this just about the cutest little death roll you've ever seen?! Some commenters were quick to chime in that although the death roll is amusing now, it won’t be as sweet when the baby grows up. According to Scientific American, the death roll technique is seen in nearly every crocodilian species and involves the cold-blooded creature spinning on its axis to dismember its prey.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida teen is recovering after officials said he was attacked by a 10-foot alligator. [RELATED: Florida woman discovers alligators fighting at her home]The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the alligator bit the 14-year-old while he was walking near a pond. The alligator will be trapped and relocated to a nearby alligator farm. Wildlife officials reminded Floridians that as temperatures go up, alligators become more visible. And keep pets on a leash and away from the water,” officials said.
